Smoked Meat Chili. Where's the meat? $9 for a few beans and crumbs of meat and lots of 'I don't know what the sauce was thickened with. I'll leave it there.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Joj O.
Been meaning to try Guava Smoked. The restaurant itself is small. Drive-inn vibes with a few tables in the small space at Downtown Pearlridge. The person at the counter seemed like they were the owner and were very friendly. Ordered a mix plate with boneless chicken thighs and pork with mac salad and smoked fried rice. Also ordered the smoked salmon belly bowl. Prices were very reasonable. Our order came out quickly, and served to our table. The meat was very tender and tasty. Great smoke flavor but not overpowering. The fried rice was really really good, and the amount of meat chunks included in the rice was almost a 3rd choice. Smoked salmon belly was also really good. Mac salad was ok on its own but worked well mixed in with bites of meat/rice. Would definitely come back here. I've been missing out. My only wish is they had actual bbq sauce too instead of sambal and chili water.
DtDrPepperFan
We were debating where to eat dinner. At first we walked past it and considered eating at a restaurant around the corner but decided to try this place out as the line was shorter. I had the spicy pork, my wife had the smoked chicken. The chicken was really good, but the spicy pork was so good that I ordered an additional order to take back to the hotel for later.The service was amazing too! They were quick in preparing our orders and checked in on us. I almost couldn't respond to how it was though because I was too busy enjoying the food. Will definitely go here again and recommend it to everybody!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lindsay Roach
The food is tasty, but small portions for a big price. Also, I went at 7pm and it looked like they were trying to close down, when they advertised closing at 8pm. Food came fast, except they missed a whole falafel burger and a side of kimchi. I should've checked before I left but I had a good experience here before and trusted it. So once I got home and called to let them know what they forgot and I would be able to pick it up, the cashier on the phone was saying that they could not make it because they're closed and she was laughing at the situation. It was 7:35pm. I took the refund for the items. This is also after I called 4 times. Then I needed to call back just so I can get a name just in case I don't get my refund and was hung up on. So idk if it's a bunch of teenagers running this location in the evening but I do know it's bad for customer service and business. I really think it was on purpose and they shouldn't be closed at 7:30pm when she said themselves they close at 8pm. I won't be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Lindsay R.
The food is tasty, but small portions for a big price. Also, I went at 7pm and it looked like they were trying to close down, when they advertised closing at 8pm. Food came fast, except they missed a whole falafel burger and a side of kimchi. I should've checked before I left but I had a good experience here before and trusted it. So once I got home and called to let them know what they forgot and I would be able to pick it up, the cashier on the phone was saying that they could not make it because they're closed and she was laughing at the situation. It was 7:35pm. I took the refund for the items. This is also after I called 4 times. Then I needed to call back just so I can get a name just in case I don't get my refund and was hung up on. So idk if it's a bunch of teenagers running this location in the evening but I do know it's bad for customer service and business. I really think it was on purpose and they shouldn't be closed at 7:30pm when she said themselves they close at 8pm. I won't be back.
靛衣
Best chicken ever! I even ordered 2 plates of it. Service was fast. I recommend you go to this place.
Annie Calvo
I inhaled my food so I didn’t get a chance to take pictures, but it was sooo good! Love the hapa rice, always need an extra scoop. I recommend the smoked chicken (on or off the bone), it’s delicious.Parking: Mall parkingKid-friendliness: Kid friendlyWheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Chicken
Nadine C.
Lunch at Pearlridge Center in Aiea, Oahu, Hawaii... My friends from the mainland and I needed some food and beverages after walking the entire perimeter of Aloha Stadium's Swap Meet nearby. I chose Guava Smoked because I saw Gabriel P., Nat, Krysten, Tanyce, Reuben, Chris, Amy, and Angel H.'s reviews. Yes - many of my friends have been here! Is it because of the free parking at the mall? The air-conditioning? The clean restrooms? The tasty food smoked with wood from the guava tree? My friend ordered the smoked duck because it's only offered on Saturdays. She also got the pork in a combo plate, which includes hapa rice (brown and white). She really enjoyed everything! Her husband got a salad from next door and the staff let him bring his lunch in to eat with us! Thanks! I got the Smoked salmon belly bowl. It was a just-right size with a scoop of hapa rice and luscious salmon belly! Yum! I also had a sweetened green tea from the self-service beverage dispenser... refreshing! This was a pleasant experience because the staff was so nice and the place was cheerful with cute decor! We'll be back!
Sati G.
I ordered the spicy pork bowl on the recommendation of the cashier. It was really good, nice flavor, tender, just the right amount of spice. My hubby ordered the mix plate with pork and chicken and fried rice. His was really good too!
Sang P.
So I came in and I ordered the local moco bowl spicy with a side of mac salad which was disappointing. I sure could taste the guava smoke it was guava burnt and it was dry probably re-heated from yesterday. Unlucky me and the Mac salad wasn't the traditional one. It reminded me of Alabama style Mac salad. The picture I took is where I gave up eating and threw away. First time maybe last time? I should've gone to rainbows drive inn upstairs would've got a full size plate for the price and is kanackaz. I figure if this is a new spot gotta be on the top of the game? Aloha
I was at Pearlridge for Black Friday and as I was leaving the Theater side, I noticed the Guava Smoked sign and remembered the commercial. I wandered in and read through their menu. The entrees look interesting and higher but considering it's all guava smoked, it not common to find local style. What caught my eye was the frozen items of a 12-14 pound smoked turkey, which the last time I saw smoked turkey frozen was Redondo's. I've eaten Cherry Guava smoked turkey for many decades and it's good but labor intensive as my dad took a long time to smoke in a Komodo. Some people don't care for smoked turkey, but our family loved it, what's different is that Guava Smoke also sells a 5 pound frozen Jook. I asked the staff as to how was the Jook made. They thought it was. Made from chicken. The shop should promoted it by having staff and customers able to taste periodically. I tried their smoked chicken sandwich which I was delayed in eating right away, so it was okay. I thought the chicken piece might have over cooked, as it was tough and dried. I will try it again the next time at Pearlridge, as my sister in law says their meat is good. I'll be hopeful.
Cathy Y.
Oh my! Good to the last bite! I even ordered a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving! I can't wait! If you like smoked meat of any kind, you'll like this. Can't wait til Thanksgiving!
Ernesto Maria M.
I finally went there today (11/16/23) as I always wanted to try it. But I'm very disappointed. I ordered smoked hamburger steak. It was salty and it tasted like all charcoal. I asked the cashier if it's supposed to be like this charcoal tasting and she said that's how it's cooked and she asked if I wanted a new one. I don't want another charcoal plate but thank you. Never again.
Tj M.
Okay... Im not a stickler. I love food, and smoked meat is just a plus, I knew Guava Smoked had it. It was up until I was told, "we're out of kalbi." Mind you, this is the second time I've been here and been told that, so I ordered another item (Duck - Only available on certain days), and I get a "It's not ready." Fast forward to when it's time to open the bag and eat the food, ONO! ONO! Time for dessert! Nope, there's no dessert in the bag. No guava bars, didn't have food, duck not ready, service, ehhh. They got a good thing going though it could use some help in some area. They're new, so give them the benefit of a doubt and give them a try at your own risk.
Cindy Nelson
Delicious food and fantastic, kind service. We ate our dinner, then ordered more to go.Parking: Open mall with ample free parking
Smoked Meat Chili. Where's the meat? $9 for a few beans and crumbs of meat and lots of 'I don't know what the sauce was thickened with. I'll leave it there.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Been meaning to try Guava Smoked. The restaurant itself is small. Drive-inn vibes with a few tables in the small space at Downtown Pearlridge. The person at the counter seemed like they were the owner and were very friendly. Ordered a mix plate with boneless chicken thighs and pork with mac salad and smoked fried rice. Also ordered the smoked salmon belly bowl. Prices were very reasonable. Our order came out quickly, and served to our table. The meat was very tender and tasty. Great smoke flavor but not overpowering. The fried rice was really really good, and the amount of meat chunks included in the rice was almost a 3rd choice. Smoked salmon belly was also really good. Mac salad was ok on its own but worked well mixed in with bites of meat/rice. Would definitely come back here. I've been missing out. My only wish is they had actual bbq sauce too instead of sambal and chili water.
We were debating where to eat dinner. At first we walked past it and considered eating at a restaurant around the corner but decided to try this place out as the line was shorter. I had the spicy pork, my wife had the smoked chicken. The chicken was really good, but the spicy pork was so good that I ordered an additional order to take back to the hotel for later.The service was amazing too! They were quick in preparing our orders and checked in on us. I almost couldn't respond to how it was though because I was too busy enjoying the food. Will definitely go here again and recommend it to everybody!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is tasty, but small portions for a big price. Also, I went at 7pm and it looked like they were trying to close down, when they advertised closing at 8pm. Food came fast, except they missed a whole falafel burger and a side of kimchi. I should've checked before I left but I had a good experience here before and trusted it. So once I got home and called to let them know what they forgot and I would be able to pick it up, the cashier on the phone was saying that they could not make it because they're closed and she was laughing at the situation. It was 7:35pm. I took the refund for the items. This is also after I called 4 times. Then I needed to call back just so I can get a name just in case I don't get my refund and was hung up on. So idk if it's a bunch of teenagers running this location in the evening but I do know it's bad for customer service and business. I really think it was on purpose and they shouldn't be closed at 7:30pm when she said themselves they close at 8pm. I won't be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
The food is tasty, but small portions for a big price. Also, I went at 7pm and it looked like they were trying to close down, when they advertised closing at 8pm. Food came fast, except they missed a whole falafel burger and a side of kimchi. I should've checked before I left but I had a good experience here before and trusted it. So once I got home and called to let them know what they forgot and I would be able to pick it up, the cashier on the phone was saying that they could not make it because they're closed and she was laughing at the situation. It was 7:35pm. I took the refund for the items. This is also after I called 4 times. Then I needed to call back just so I can get a name just in case I don't get my refund and was hung up on. So idk if it's a bunch of teenagers running this location in the evening but I do know it's bad for customer service and business. I really think it was on purpose and they shouldn't be closed at 7:30pm when she said themselves they close at 8pm. I won't be back.
Best chicken ever! I even ordered 2 plates of it. Service was fast. I recommend you go to this place.
I inhaled my food so I didn’t get a chance to take pictures, but it was sooo good! Love the hapa rice, always need an extra scoop. I recommend the smoked chicken (on or off the bone), it’s delicious.Parking: Mall parkingKid-friendliness: Kid friendlyWheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Chicken
Lunch at Pearlridge Center in Aiea, Oahu, Hawaii... My friends from the mainland and I needed some food and beverages after walking the entire perimeter of Aloha Stadium's Swap Meet nearby. I chose Guava Smoked because I saw Gabriel P., Nat, Krysten, Tanyce, Reuben, Chris, Amy, and Angel H.'s reviews. Yes - many of my friends have been here! Is it because of the free parking at the mall? The air-conditioning? The clean restrooms? The tasty food smoked with wood from the guava tree? My friend ordered the smoked duck because it's only offered on Saturdays. She also got the pork in a combo plate, which includes hapa rice (brown and white). She really enjoyed everything! Her husband got a salad from next door and the staff let him bring his lunch in to eat with us! Thanks! I got the Smoked salmon belly bowl. It was a just-right size with a scoop of hapa rice and luscious salmon belly! Yum! I also had a sweetened green tea from the self-service beverage dispenser... refreshing! This was a pleasant experience because the staff was so nice and the place was cheerful with cute decor! We'll be back!
I ordered the spicy pork bowl on the recommendation of the cashier. It was really good, nice flavor, tender, just the right amount of spice. My hubby ordered the mix plate with pork and chicken and fried rice. His was really good too!
So I came in and I ordered the local moco bowl spicy with a side of mac salad which was disappointing. I sure could taste the guava smoke it was guava burnt and it was dry probably re-heated from yesterday. Unlucky me and the Mac salad wasn't the traditional one. It reminded me of Alabama style Mac salad. The picture I took is where I gave up eating and threw away. First time maybe last time? I should've gone to rainbows drive inn upstairs would've got a full size plate for the price and is kanackaz. I figure if this is a new spot gotta be on the top of the game? Aloha
Restaurantji Recommends
I was at Pearlridge for Black Friday and as I was leaving the Theater side, I noticed the Guava Smoked sign and remembered the commercial. I wandered in and read through their menu. The entrees look interesting and higher but considering it's all guava smoked, it not common to find local style. What caught my eye was the frozen items of a 12-14 pound smoked turkey, which the last time I saw smoked turkey frozen was Redondo's. I've eaten Cherry Guava smoked turkey for many decades and it's good but labor intensive as my dad took a long time to smoke in a Komodo. Some people don't care for smoked turkey, but our family loved it, what's different is that Guava Smoke also sells a 5 pound frozen Jook. I asked the staff as to how was the Jook made. They thought it was. Made from chicken. The shop should promoted it by having staff and customers able to taste periodically. I tried their smoked chicken sandwich which I was delayed in eating right away, so it was okay. I thought the chicken piece might have over cooked, as it was tough and dried. I will try it again the next time at Pearlridge, as my sister in law says their meat is good. I'll be hopeful.
Oh my! Good to the last bite! I even ordered a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving! I can't wait! If you like smoked meat of any kind, you'll like this. Can't wait til Thanksgiving!
I finally went there today (11/16/23) as I always wanted to try it. But I'm very disappointed. I ordered smoked hamburger steak. It was salty and it tasted like all charcoal. I asked the cashier if it's supposed to be like this charcoal tasting and she said that's how it's cooked and she asked if I wanted a new one. I don't want another charcoal plate but thank you. Never again.
Okay... Im not a stickler. I love food, and smoked meat is just a plus, I knew Guava Smoked had it. It was up until I was told, "we're out of kalbi." Mind you, this is the second time I've been here and been told that, so I ordered another item (Duck - Only available on certain days), and I get a "It's not ready." Fast forward to when it's time to open the bag and eat the food, ONO! ONO! Time for dessert! Nope, there's no dessert in the bag. No guava bars, didn't have food, duck not ready, service, ehhh. They got a good thing going though it could use some help in some area. They're new, so give them the benefit of a doubt and give them a try at your own risk.
Delicious food and fantastic, kind service. We ate our dinner, then ordered more to go.Parking: Open mall with ample free parking
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Beef Stew, Smoked Pork